Improvement in clamps for securing corks in bottles



A. TEMPLETON. Clamp for SeouringOork in Bott1e,-

No. 205,011. Patented June 18, 1878.

IINVENTOR WWW/7w WITNESSES ATTORNEYS;

umrrms. PHo-ro-Drimennnzn, WASHlNGTQN. n. c.

v and Fig. 2 a top view of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO TEMPLETON, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMPS FOR SECURING CORKS IN BOTTLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 205,011, dated June 18, 1878; application filed May 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALONZO TEMPLETON, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clamps for Securing Corks in Bottles, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to means for securing corks in bottles while the contents thereof are undergoing whatis known as the aging process. 4

The custom of preparing beer in bottles by heat, to enhance its preservative qualities, is becoming general. The heat required in the process produces so great a pressure on the corks that double wires, and even four wires, have been found insufficient to hold a cork firmly in place in the bottle. To remedy this disadvantage is the object of my invention.

The invention consists in a novel construction of a clamp adapted to be readily applied to the neck of a bottle, so as to hold the cork firmly in place while the contents are going through the heating process, and as readily removed in order to allow the cork to be withdrawn.

The accompanying drawing represents a clamp made according to my invention, Figure 1 being a longitudinal sectional view of the clamp in place on the neck of a bottle,

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The clamp or fastener A may be made of hoop-iron, brass, heavy Wire, or other metal, and of any suitable shape and size, to enable it to fit around the neck of the bottle and over the top of the cork.

The most simple and effective clamp or fastener is made of a strip or bar of heavy hoopiron, about six and a halt inches long by two and a quarter inches wide, with a deep and tapering notch, 12, running longitudinally from one end of the strip toward the middle, and a tongue, 0, about equal in length to the depth of the notch formed on the opposite end. A number of these clamps may be struck out from sheet or bar metal, so that the cutting of the tongue for one clamp will leave the notch for the next one. The strip or bar thus provided with the notch and tongue is bent midway of its length, so as to form an elongated horseshoe or U shape in its longitudinal section, and the clamp or fastener is then complete.

In using this device, the notch 12 is placed astride the neck of the bottle, and the tongue 0 over the top of said neck and the top of the cork, and the clamp is pushed along until the neck of the bottle fits snugly in the notch,

with the edges of the notch engaging Withthe shoulder of the exterior ring on the neck. The cork is thus held firmly in place, and the clamp will retain its position for any desired length of time, but may be readily removed when the heating process is completed or it is desired to draw the cork.

As the edges of the notch are slightly tapering, the clamp will accommodate itself to any slight variations in size of the necks of different bottles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A cork-fastenin g clamp consisting of a metallic plate, strip, or bar, A, bent to form a horseshoe or U shape in its longitudinal section, and provided with a notch, 12, and tongue 0, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

ALONZO TEMPLETON. Witnesses WM. H. WATTS, R. B. Moonn. 

